Dubai: She has the patience of an angel, but for Emirates Equestrian Centre (EEC) head instructor and dressage coordinator Lilian Sternvad it is much more than just preparing the four UAE riders for the Athens Special Olympics — it is about teaching them about life and living.
"All of them have some difficulty. They could be autistic or with Down's Syndrome or have some sort of learning difficulty, but they have the ability to compete and prove that they are the best. It is always rewarding to have such riders who can challenge themselves and take the sport to a different level," Sternvad told Gulf News as she guided the riders at a training session.
Sternvad has more than 30 years experience in the sport. She first worked with Riding for the Disabled Association (RDAD) and went to the Special Olympics for the first time in Shanghai in 2007. She also took the squad for two regional Games held after the Special Olympics. "But this time we have a comparatively new squad of riders with just one of them from the last Games in Shanghai, two who were with me in Syria and one is completely new," she said.
"For them it is not about competing for a medal, but more of learning for life. Riding increases their balance, it increases their communication with people or animals or whatever they have to face in life for the future," she added.
Sternvad added: "It would make them very happy and I would be pleased if we do get medals for what we are doing. But of course most important for them is to do the best they can."
World games
- The Special Olympics World Games are an international sporting competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, organised by Special Olympics.
- Like the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, the Special Olympics World Games include summer and winter versions, and are held every four years.
- The first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held in Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1968, while the first International Special Olympics Winter Games were held in February 1977 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
- In 1991, the name was officially changed from International Special Olympics Summer or Winter Games to Special Olympics World Summer or Winter Games.
- The Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organisation for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries.
- Often the Games are the largest sporting event to take place in the world that year.
